If you don’t already know it, quinoa is a whole grain seed which brings all the protein you need in a meal. It is also filled with antioxidants, numerous minerals and vitamins, to protect your health and keep you strong. Therefore, these five ways to cook quinoa will all be great additions to your diet.
Various Methods to cook Quinoa
Although we will be suggesting recipes cooked by using a microwave, there are several other ways to cook quinoa. You can cook it in a pot or in a pan on your stovetop, which is the most common way to do so. You may not know that, but quinoa can also be cooked in a rice cooker. And if you need to cook fast, a pressure cooker or an instapot can do the job.
Of course, as we will now show, you can also use a microwave to cook quinoa. Today, it is probably the best solution, as it is easy and fast. By using a microwave, you can create a variety of quinoa meals.
How to cook Quinoa in a Microwave
Here is the method you want to use, if you are cooking quinoa by itself in microwave:
First, rinse the quinoa in a mesh strainer for duration of 30 seconds. Once you are done, drain the water and do it again, a second time. Place one cup (or more) of quinoa in a bowl and add twice the amount in liquid (water or broth). One cup of quinoa will serve six to eight people. Cover it up and cook for six minutes at full power inside the microwave. Open the door, stir the quinoa, and then continue cooking for an additional two minutes. Once it is done, take it out and let it rest between five and ten minutes. Finally, fluff it, so it doesn’t look like a paste.
Five Microwave Recipes for Quinoa
Now that we have thought you how to cook plain quinoa, let’s see how you can mix it up to make various meals with it. First, we will teach you how to make a breakfast bowl and then breakfast muffins. After, we’ll move on to the salad before heading to the main dish (pizza bites) and a side-dish (stuffed sweet potatoes).
Breakfast bowl
When you cook quinoa, you will notice that it becomes similar to oatmeal. Therefore, the first way to cook your quinoa in the microwave, is to create a breakfast bowl. It is quite easy. All you need to do is add yogurt and a fruit (or various ones) to the quinoa, once it is cooked. If you would like to sweeten it, you can press some honey in and you can also grab a few nuts, to give it some crunch.
Quinoa & egg breakfast muffins
For those who have a little more time to cook in the morning, before heading to work or school, this muffin recipes will make a delicious, hearty morning meal.
Ingredients:
1 Cup of pre-cooked quinoa
5 eggs
1 Cup of chopped bacon
1/2 Cup of your choice of cheese
Directions:
First, preheat the oven to 350℉. As it gets warm, mix all the ingredients mentioned above in a bowl. Take a spoon and put some of the mixture in muffin tins. Place it in the oven and let it cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Eat them as they come out or keep them in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave, before serving them again.
Caprese quinoa salad
Once quinoa is cooked, it doesn’t have to be served warm. You can mix it in with salad, and it will add complete protein to your meal.
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup of quinoa
1 tomato
1/2 avocado
½ ball fresh mozzarella
2 Teaspoon of olive oil
1 Teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon of honey
Basil leaves (as you prefer)
Directions:
You first have to cook the quinoa, using the method we explained at the beginning. When it is cooled down, chop the tomato and avocado, and mix it with the quinoa. Cut the mozzarella in little dices, mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey together and pour it over the quinoa mixture. Add the mozzarella dices and the fresh basil before serving.
Main dish – Quinoa Pizza Bites
Everybody loves pizza, but not all of them are healthy! By adding some quinoa, you will create a pizza full of vitamins, protein, minerals and fibre.
Ingredients:
1 Cup of pre-cooked quinoa
1/2 Cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1/2 Teaspoon of salt
1/4 Cup of marinara sauce
1 clove of minced garlic
3 Teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1 pack of sliced pepperoni
Instructions:
While you preheat the oven to reach 400℉, grease a mini muffin pan. Mix all ingredients in the recipe inside a bowl. Spoon the mixture and place some in the muffin tins. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, and then let the mini-pizza rest for 10 minutes. Remove and serve.
Side-dish – Quinoa stuffed sweet potatoes
Side-dishes are not always the healthiest elements of dinner, but these quinoa stuffed sweet potatoes will be.
Ingredients:
4 sweet potatoes
1 Cup of quinoa
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 small onion diced
2 Cups of kale
1/2 Cup of slivered toasted almonds
1/4 Cup of dried cranberries
Instructions:
As the sweet potatoes are baking (till they get fork tender), sauté the onion in olive oil until it becomes soft. Then, add the kale, almonds, and cranberries, before continuing to sauté, until the kale is also soft. Add the quinoa to the mix. Cut the sweet potatoes in half and add the filling to the mixture, then mix again. Place the new filling inside the empty shells of sweet potatoes and serve slightly warm.
